I have the awesome privilege to lead worship. And let me be clear in what I mean. Yes, I lead in a human sense. But ultimately, in the spiritual sense, it is not me leading. The privilege is that God uses me as the vessel which the Holy Spirit leads in worship. And through that privilege I get to see some really cool stuff from a really unique perspective.

On a recent Sunday we were worshiping with Lord, I Need You. We were moving through the bridge and into a strong chorus as I encouraged them to place their needs before Jesus. Then I heard a shout. "Jesus! I need you!"

This exclamation of need moved me. Tears welled in my eyes.

It was a powerful moment as others around him began clapping. Not in time with the music. Clapping. Applause. For the Savior. The King of kings. The Provider. The Comforter. What a moment!

Many places in the Old Testament shouting is mentioned in reference to worship. There are many passages which actually encourage or seem to command it (Isaiah 44:23, Psalm 47:1 and many others). We shouldn't shout as the end or as the goal, but as an outcome, an expression, of what the Holy Spirit is doing in the heart.

It is true that there is no command or example in the New Testament for shouting in worship? Yes. It is true. There is none. Yet, this is not to say it didn't happen. In fact, knowing that most of those writing the New Testament were part of the Jewish culture which knew well the culture of Old Testament worship makes it seem as though shouting would have been a possibility. Especially considering that there is no command or discouragement against it in the New Testament.

All that said, it is amazing as a worshiper, whether on stage or off stage, to hear the heart expression of someone else in worship. Most often this is the singing itself. Every once in a great while a shout of brokenness or great praise has the ability to open up my own heart even more in my worship.

Whoever that person was who shouted... thank you. It drew me closer to God. What a shout it was. "Jesus!"

There have been so many times I have felt like a song. I can remember my student teaching days during college. I was driving nearly an hour and half each way to and from the school where I was teaching. It was brutal. Mind you, as anyone who knows me would attest, I am NOT a morning person. Far from it. I am a night owl. Early up, drive an hour and a half, teach, drive back an hour and a half. Nights were filled with classes, rehearsals for choir and shows, and I still had voice lessons for my upcoming graduate recital. Busy was the name of that semester. Nah. Busy doesn't even do it justice.

These are songs that have been therapeutic to me. To my soul. They serve to drive God's truth deeper into my heart.

I firmly believe that music is God's language. I know it's how he speaks to me. And it's therapeutic. The Holy Spirit uses it to bring healing. When King Saul of Old Testament times was troubled he took comfort in music. It was therapeutic for him. David played his music for Saul and it had a soothing effect (1 Samuel 16:14-23).

You probably have songs like these in your life too. What songs are they? Can you think of one? I'd love for you to share it in the comments. If you don't use music in this way... consider it.

Allow the truth of God's word be driven deep into your heart through song.

War. Famine. Disease. Stress. Persecution. Homelessness. Starvation. Death. None of these, no, nothing on this earth or anywhere for that matter, can or will separate me from God's love. (Romans 8:38-39) I know this, because I have felt, experienced, and studied the historical, real person that is Jesus. He took a dark trip up a rocky hill named Calvary in Jerusalem and died there so I would know this truth.

My son was just past a year old. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. When the doctor gave me the news he said an antibiotic would be needed immediately and if it did not improve rapidly he may need a trip to hospital. The medicine was essential. Worry struck me. What if he would not take the medicine? He was not very good at taking medicine.

The doctor assured me that the pharmacy would make the medicine work for my son with an addition of flavor. When arriving at the pharmacy, I was given a list of flavors which my son would love. After choosing bubble gum (after all, who doesn't love a good bubble gum flavor, right?) I received the medicine and went home to get underway with administering it.

Fifteen minutes later there was a pink mess on the carpet, my son was screaming, and I was crying. It was fifteen minutes of fighting and torture. For both of us. I tried everything. I tried giving it to him straight. No go. (So much for flavored medicine!) I tried mixing it with a bottle. Nice try. I tried holding his nose and getting the tube past his tongue so I could force him to swallow. Nope. (The kid is nearly as stubborn as I am.)

So a third of the medicine bottle is empty. The carpet is pink. My son is screaming. I'm crying and worried he'll end up in the hospital.

And then it happened.

My son ran to me.

In the midst of his tears, tears which I caused, he ran to me.

With arms open wide he ran to daddy. He wrapped his arms around my legs and with tears in my eyes I looked down and wondered, "How can this be?" I'm the one who allowed (even caused) his current anguish and he came running to me. "Daddy!"

Then I realized: This is how God wants me to run to him. When things aren't going well. When I'm in pain. When God has allowed something to to occur which brings me struggle, I can and should run to him. "Daddy!" "Abba!" Be with me. Comfort me. You are always good. You are always faithful. You are always true. You are always Daddy.

The reason my son ran to me, even in the midst of the struggle he had with me, was because he KNEW me. He knew I LOVED him. He knew I CARED for him. He knew I would HOLD him.

Do you know these things about God? Do you run to him even when you struggle with him? Job declared "I came naked from my mother's womb and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord." Even in the midst of the struggle, Job ran to God and yelled, "Daddy!" (Read his story in Job 1.)

You can always run to God. Good times. Bad times. That's honoring and glorifying to Him. That's worship.

worship Him 24/7...Scott

PS - My son did not end up the hospital. My stubbornness eventually won out. He still runs to me with open arms and yells "daddy". It still can bring tears to my eyes.

I am an introvert by nature. In large group settings, turn me into a fly and let me stick to the wall. But I've learned that I need people. Everyone needs somebody. Researchers and psychologists will tell you again and again... everyone needs somebody. (You can check out people like Brene Brown for info!)

Why is it that so many people with tons of money or their dream job or the perfect family or the ideal ________ (you fill in the blank) aren't happy? Why do so many down-spiral? Why do some end their life? Well, there are many reasons, but at the heart of it all... they don't feel loved. People need love. This isn't "sex" love. This is LOVE... a deep sense of affection and appreciation. When I'm feeling down a movie might cheer me up. For some it's sports or a drink or a long draw on a stogie. But there are all fleeting.

Except love. Love is what holds people together. Not just two people together. Love keeps an individual person together! It helps keep us from cracking up! Everybody needs somebody. That somebody is ultimately God. Ultimately all love is from God. Afterall, God is... love. (1 John 4:16)

God is love. + Love holds us together. = God holds us together.

Check out this song, Hold Us Together, by Matt Maher.

hold us together by matt maher

It don't have a job, don't pay your bills Won't buy you a home in Beverly Hills Won't fix your life in five easy steps Ain't the law of the land or the government But it's all you need

Love will hold us together Make us a shelter to weather the storm And I'll be my brother's keeper So the whole world would know that we're not alone

It's waiting for you knocking at your door In the moment of truth when your heart hits the floor And you're on your knees

This is the first day of the rest of your life This is the first day of the rest of your life 'Cause even in the dark you can still see the light It's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright

I once heard a heartbreaking story of a young boy's death. It's also the story of man who controlled the opening and closing of a bridge over a river. The man had to take his young boy to work and was busy about his job opening the bridge for a passing boat as his son played. The son snuck out of the control room and in his exploring discovered where the large gears were housed that raised and lowered the bridge and became stuck in the gears. As the man looked out from the control room he noticed his son through the window just as a train approached. The man had to make a choice. Quickly. There was enough time to save his son, but the train would crash. Or he could lower the bridge and save the hundreds of people on the train. But this would mean a painful, agonizing death for his son.

This is a glimpse into the choice God made for you and for me. It's a story most of us are familiar with. God saw us in need and allowed Jesus to die to save us. But what were some of the "behind the scenes" thoughts and motivations? Check out this verse.

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

1. "Spare". The Greek meaning is to "abstain" or "forbear", which means to patiently restrain an impulse from doing something.

Think about this! God could NOT patiently refrain himself from giving up his son, Jesus for you. Imagine God looking down from heaven going about his business and then seeing you. And in an instance he is so smitten with you, so in love with you, that he can't keep himself from turning to Jesus and saying, "You're going down there! I love this person so much that you have to go. Now! I can't wait any longer!" That's what God felt about you!

2. "Gave Up". The Greek meaning is to "hand over", "hand down", and "deliver". It's with betrayal and abandonment. It also means to do hand over with a deep sense of close personal involvement.

Let's add to what we have been considering. God turns sees you and wants so badly to have a relationship with you that he turns to Jesus, his only son, and says, "You are going down there right now. I can't wait. I love this person so much that you are going down there immediately. Not only that but the only way this is going to work means saying goodbye to you, Jesus. I have to let you die so I can be with them. I have to betray you and hand you over to an agonizing death." God does this for us, not as a little god sitting on a cloud far removed from what's going on. No. He does this as God Almighty who gets up close and personal with a deep sense of attachment in what is happening. For you.

The man in our story chose to lower the bridge. He watched as his son was crushed by the gears of the bridge. In so doing, hundreds of people on the train were saved. It was an up close and personal experience for this man.

God chose to lower his son, Jesus. He watched as his son was tortured and crucified by our sins here on earth. In so doing, millions of people on this earth who choose to accept Jesus and follow him will be saved. It was an up close and personal experience for God.

What would you have done if you were that man on the bridge? I don't know what I would have done. But I'm glad that God did know. I'm glad that he chose me. That's why I worship. John 3:16.

God does not like drunkenness. Are you confused by this post's title yet? Rewind. God does not like when we overindulge in alcoholic drinks which make us lose control of ourselves. If we drink to the point of losing control, we sin. Period. God does not like this drunkenness.

Here are two definitions of "drunk". Notice that neither refer to alcohol. 1. a temporary state of losing control of one's physical and mental faculties2. being overcome or dominated by strong emotions or feelings

Read carefully this wonderful passage of scripture regarding drunkenness: Ephesians 5:18-19. "Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts."

When we get drunk with alcohol we lose self-control which is contrary to God's desire for us. If you've ever been drunk, have you felt its side effects? Did you lose control? Did you do anything you regretted? Did you have a really bad headache later? Did you vomit? The morning after the night can be rather ruined, huh? For those people who struggle with alcoholism, lives get ruined. Just as it says in the scripture above. Ironically enough, self-control is part of the "fruit of the Spirit" which God has granted us (Galatians 5:22). He provides it through a special means. The Holy Spirit.

Instead of alcohol, we should let the Holy Spirit control us. That's a different kind of drunk. When we surrender to the Holy Spirit we lose control. We give up ourselves and strive to be led by the Spirit. We must be controlled by the Spirit (Romans 8:1-17). As we come to recognize the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can allow ourselves to be overcome by it and dominated by it. That's actually God's desire for us! Go back and look at the definitions of "drunk" written above.

Why give into drunkenness with mere alcohol which may give you a temporary high when you can be taken captive by the Holy Spirit which gives a lasting joy? Paul in Galatians 5 makes this contrast. Losing yourself to the Holy Spirit's control will bring a higher high and an everlasting joy that will never wear off. It is a cure for the depression and tension which drives many of us to drink. And it won't leave you with a ruined life. Quite the opposite.

Let's close with the last sentence from our passage. "Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts." Getting "drunk" or "lost" within the Spirit's control of our lives brings the result of worship. The Holy Spirit leads us to honor and glorify God. Paul describes the singing of praise from your heart, the emotional depths of your soul. This is powerful singing. It's not your typical bar karaoke. No! This is singing you bring to God because you've given over control of your own worship to the Holy Spirit's powerful worship leading.

Give up the temporary hole-fillers like drinking. Allow the Holy Spirit to take control. Be drunk for worship.

When you are amidst the battle of life and feel alone remember this: you are not alone. If you are a believer in Christ you always have the Holy Spirit within you. God is with you. You are not alone.

The presence and power of God the Holy Spirit provides can be all of ours. As we accept Christ as savior, the Holy Spirit dwells within us providing us power, guidance, comfort, wisdom, and so much more. We must obey that Spirit in us. We must surrender to that Spirit in us. Doing so allows us to see it's work in our lives. It reminds us of the Holy Spirit's constant presence. That we are never alone. Even amidst the battle. What a freedom! Accept that freedom. Be free.

In light of my recent posts on war & worship, check out this song by Kari Jobe, I Am Not Alone.

When I walk through deep waters I know that You will be with meWhen I'm standing in the fire I will not be overcomeThrough the valley of the shadow I will not fear I am not alone, I am not aloneYou will go before me, You will never leave me In the midst of deep sorrow I see Your light is breaking throughThe dark of night will not overtake me I am pressing into YouLord You fight my ev'ry battle and I will not fear You amaze me redeem me, You call me as Your ownYou amaze me redeem me, You call me as Your own You're my strength You're my defenderYou're my refuge in the stormThrough these trials You've always been faithfulYou bring healing to my soul